Henry sleeps while I play with paints

Henry came out to join me in the sunshine today...while I got the acrylics out and played with them on canvas...he fell quickly to sleep on pulled back canvas table and chair protector (from rain).
Tomorrow I will take these paints and two small canvas' to the grand kids and let them let the artists in them out!

PS I want Suki to know that I am saving my paper towels used to clean the brushes and paint pallet for future collage making. It's good to learn from others.

I also picked grapefruits from our tree and delivered them to neighbors on either side of us. And kept a bag to take to daughter's tomorrow. And then I went for a walk. Such a nice day here today.

Folks, It IS spring in California! My backyard and Front yard.!

Lavender from the front yard blooms...

My childhood girl friend Patty and I bought these miniature daffodil bulbs how many years ago now? and I planted mine. We had tulip bulbs too but I think I must have planted those all upside down as none of them bloomed for me. Patty's garden has them all!

Also in my front yard...not sure what this bush is called but it is loaded with these small pink blooms. So pretty.

One more daffodil ready to bloom in the backyard...

Purple flowers under my orange tree.

An old faithful geranium that keeps coming back year after year...

My dwarf peach tree is blooming!

Camellias are out in full force now...remember the first buds?

Challenge From Annie...Try it it's Fun!

Scattergories challenge from Annie follows: What is your name....................Lynn 4 Letter word........................love Vehicle..............................land rover City.................................Louisville Boy Name.............................Larry Girl Name............................Lucinda Alcoholic Drink......................lime with margarita (I don’t drink!) ;-) Occupation...........................lumber jack Something you wear...................linen (not) Celebrity............................Lenny Bruce Food.................................Limburger cheese (yuck), lox (nummy) Something found in a bathroom.......Lux soap (childhood bathroom) Reason for being late................last minute blogging Cartoon Character....................Linus Something you shout.................. leapin’ lizards! Animal............................... Lion Body part............................lid of eye, lips Word to describe you.................laughing Let me know if you try this so I can come and read your answers!! If your name starts with "L" you have to find your own words!

Final Painting Class Endeavor

Last night we had about an hour of lecture and example...I started to attempt a "realistic" painting of my passion vine flower, but it just did not even come close, did not happen...in the last few minutes of the class I picked up a brush loaded with pink paint and hurriedly stroked it over the passion flower and this is what I got...added the yellow center and highlighted the green surrounding area.

I'm done with art classes for now. My focus is going to be on art quilts...both playing around with appliqued pieces of my own design and/ or commissioned photo history wall hangings.

Now I am going to go mop my kitchen floor. My house has suffered terribly from the last several weeks of quilting. It feels and looks neglected. Getting ready for the next big thing! ;-)

Big ? Storm, Bumpy Ride, & Clematis Found a Home

Big storm here today...well not so bad...this is the rain outside our back door...the door mat is under water...

Mr. Henry did not want to get out of the laundry basket when I wanted to take it down stairs. Yes, he was napping, but the clothes have to get done sometime!
I added my shoes and some craft materials to take to the kids, as we are babysitting this afternoon and evening.
So Henry went bump, bump, bump down the stairs and did not get out until we reached the laundry room. Some cat! I guess he liked his bumpy ride.

This is the Clematis before and after applying the binding.

The binding is half sewn on and half pinned. I'll finish the sewing tonight after we put the little kids to bed.

MORE Happy news: I had asked my son and daughter-in-law to be to please look at my blog and quilts to see what they liked so I could make them something for their wedding gift. Guess what? They liked this one! Actually she said they "loved it", which made me very happy, as all the time I was making it with them in mind *just in case they loved it! They looked and emailed me this morning as I was putting on the finishing touches with their choice! The happy occasion is this August in Portland!

This is the back of my Clematis Quilt

When I discovered Melissa Bula's quilts at the Folsom quilt show a few weekends ago, I was awe struck by her work, the dynamic WOW upon seeing the huge appliqued flowers...and then as they were hung so you could walk around them and see the back I was wow'd again seeing the beautiful colorful stitching on the back. So I too loaded bobbin after bobbin with colored threads to match the top stitching threads so I too would have "another picture" if you will on the back of my work.
And here it is!

This is the back of my Clematis. I have finished the top stitching and tomorrow I will make the binding and sew it on (after squaring up the piece of course and trimming off the excess fabric/batting/backing...When that is done you shall see the front as well.

I strongly recommend double clicking on the photo to see the details of the stitching. ;-)

Point of interest: It's been 13 days from when I started this quilt from the building of the design table to finishing the top stitching.
Happy Weekend to all.

Just Another Day In The Life of Henry

Henry's Friday, which is much like his Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday! (click to enlarge drawings).

Tagged by Forever Young To Share A Book

I've been tagged by Forever Young to do this book share:

Here are the rules:
1.) Pick up the nearest book of (at least 123 pages).

2.) Open the book to page 123.3.)
Find the fifth sentence.

4.) Post the next three sentences.

5.) Tag five people.

Forever Young sent me this wonderful book as a gift! And I have to tell you it is hilarious. Particularly if you have reached the wonderful age of 60 or above. (as we have, she the former, me the latter).

Okay: page 123.3 (what the heck is .3?)

Now I am only on page 92 of this book mind you, and I am not one to jump ahead, or read the end first sort of person...but in the name of the game...

Fifth sentence:

Post the next three sentences:

"Poor Chrissie is shattered with getting up and feeding Gene, though now he has a supplementary bottle.
"What is it about feeding babies?
"It is just so lovely to sit with him on my lap, his little head cradled in the crook of my arm, and watch his tiny lips just sucking away at the teat, his eyes closed in a kind of blissful meditation."

[obviously this is not one of the funny sections, but a poignant one...she becomes a grandma and those of us who have know how great this feeling is]

I tag anyone who feels like sharing a book they have nearby.

Henry's Day

Andrea has Miss Doodle, Cris has Annie and Henry wanted to get into the act!

You might want to double click on the photo to see it enlarged!

Acrylics Techniques Painting Class 1

This is a sample piece that had masking tape to divide spaces in which we applied acrylics and water with brushes to get the feel of the paints. This was made AFTER glopping paint and gel on canvas and transfering onto a piece of plastic sheeting with the lines in it, and also using a leaf to trasfer paint from canvas to this paper!

Class was a blast tonight.

I was wide awake and bushy tailed. My inner child was out full bore. We played with thick acyrlics and a gel medium using a palette knife and it was so much fun. I glopped gel on my canvas, huge dollops of paint, and spread and scraped and spattered it all over the place for an hour!

We made impressions with leaves and strings and stones and driftwood. I thought I was back in pre-school and it was fun fun fun! My painting class friend Jill was in this class too and we sat next to each other and cracked jokes throughout the class time. It was a kick. I was not at all tired when it was over either. I am still jazzed.



I brought home two paintings, one is a practice page of watery acrylics done on paper with tape used to separate the spaces; and the other is the paper print off the painted canvas. The canvas needs a week to dry it is so thick. I'll bring it home next Tuesday night.



This class is taught by Brenda, the same teacher for the drawing and sketching classes and beginners painting class I took there!

Hi Brenda...she said she'd peek in here,

Hi Jill...she said she would too.

They are both a lot of fun to spend an evening with painting and playing around!

Lots of laughter!

Still jazzed!

;-)

Let The Sewing Begin!

Yesterday I cut out and ironed on these last pieces you see surrounding the flowers, and that is the pattern on the far right.

This is my much neater design table with all the fabrics and tools put aside.

I used the clean table to pin her. This holds the batting and backing and top in place ready for sewing. Today I put her into the sewing machine and began by outlining all the flower petals.

And then I continued to top stitch (renegage, thread painting) the other areas in colors that matched or blended.

I sewed for six (6) hours straight. My DH said I was a slacker when I stopped. He asked if I was going to tell YOU that I stopped early! So I am telling YOU. Who knows I may go back for more later. I got a lot done. And would have gotten more done but had a "tension" problem with metallic threads. Dear Lady Bug has given me several suggestions, which I shall try. As I really want to give this some glitter that that thread will add. Stay tuned.

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A very special someone called me from London this morning! What a treat to talk to a person to whom you've grown to know by making her a special something!

Nice, very nice way to start my day!

;-)

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Look Ma No Pins!

Today I applied the final appliqued pieces to the background of the purple Clementis wall hanging. Then I took a very deep breath and de-pinned them, one by one, and pressed them into place! Whee! It actually went quickly.

And they stuck! Wow!

Then I had to cut out 45 X 3 tiny yellow and orange pieces to go around the flower centers and cut and press them into place. I may have actually made fewer than this.

After which I went over the pattern and found maybe 2-4 pieces that I had missed, found those fabrics, traced, cut, pinned and pressed them into place.
I do believe I am ready to SEW! I will wait until tomorrow (thank goodness for a four day weekend!) as my back it hurting from all this labor intensive part to this work.

And I am pleased with the progress I am making. Excited about getting to the stitching that Melissa Bula calls "Renagade Stitching". I guess because it is so "non-traditional" for traditional quilt making. I call it sewing outside the box...art work...thread painting...its on top and it's fun and you don't exactly follow the lines or have to stay within any firm rules! It's ARTsY! And it's Fun!

Addendum: Tonight I wound 15 bobbins in readiness for sewing tomorrow, all different shades of purple, green, black and black blue, and yellow, beige; and pinned the quilt top to the batting and backing with big safety pins. She's all pinned up again! Oy. So many pins. My sewing will be very slow as I move from one part to another as I have to remove the pins as I go.

DH gave me a huge compliment telling me it already looked like the "Bula" quilts we saw at the quilt show a couple of weekends ago. (Well close maybe!) He is my DH remember! ;-)

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And then I went into the garden to see what had changed from the day before and here is what I found:

Saturdays Fun!

I got up early this morning because it was Garage Sale Saturday. The sun was out, only needed a light sweater and we were off! Great finds of the day were some very cute cafe curtains with French Bristo print that will look great on an art quilt of some sort; lots of foam board and cut outs for the little kids next 'craft time' with grandma; bracelets for GrandD. Four books on Orgami so grandma can learn how to make fun things for and with the kids; a book on crafts for kids just in case I run out of ideas; LOL yeah sure!;-);

Grandpa found a set of wooden bookends with a train engine on one and a caboose on the other. GrandS is in love with steam engines right now; I think that is all.

We had to end early as I had a hair appointment at eleven...after which we went to lunch at the bakery. First time I had been there in a month and a half. I had to close my eyes walking past the Gelatto bins, the bakery goodies...and ordered without too much trouble a nice 1/2 fresh spinach salad and a 1/2 bowl of fresh fruit. Then we took a ride out in the countryside and I snapped a few photos to share:

A crow for Human Being in our own backyard up in our redwood trees.... One of DHs favorite buffalos he visits on his way home from work each day...

A beautiful white long horned sheep up on a hill...

You'd think we were in So. Dakota!

Heron or egret? (Kelly)

And sheep for Cris!

Cute baby lambs too...all over the field...

And then I came home to work on my purple flower art quilt and got lots done...

These are the last pieces cut out and ready to pin on the final piece...and then...I get to iron them all into place and THEN I get to start top stitch- free motion sewing on the top of them all. That is my favorite part of the process. This has been a labor intensive piece of art. I liked the tracing and cutting. The standing over and placing the pieces was hard on my back. But I like the outcome. So it's worth it.
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Getting mail was fun today too!

I had three great deliveries this week.

1) A beautiful print I ordered from Andrea's etsy shop arrived, along with an "extra" print of a painting for being her first customer, and a delightful card containing pictures of her paintings on T-shirts!

2.) A package from Karen from Art in the Garage blog with the small card prints I ordered from her. I just love her drawing/painting/collage work. I wasn't expecting the number of cards I got either. That was a nice surprise.

and

3.) A package from London, England with a delightfully funny book by an English author sent to me from Forever Young, a total surprise!

Thank you, thank you, thank you all.

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Life is very good! I am very blessed.

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Friday Night: Purple Flowers Progression

Friday morning and afternoon...

Friday evening and night: At times while working on this I say things like "Well, I'll never do one of these again", but then I realize I am just getting tired. I need to pace myself, and I did as this afternoon I'd trace at the design table, then take the pieces outside to the patio table and chair and cut them out...reminded me of cutting out paper dolls when I was a little girl (I used to make their clothes and dress them); then I'd come inside, iron some more fabric, adhere more fuiable web, then trace some more, go back outside, cut some more (listening to and watching the crows in our redwood trees bringing messages from Human Being in Iran)...then back inside and so it went all day long today...took a few breaks on the computer and got caught up on everyones blogs...Forever Young has a brand new one...Andrea has a lottery going...Karen's kids are athletic as all get out...and her art is awesome...Cris is painting sheep...answered some emails...thought I'd stop working and then said just a few more...just a few more...and so it went...and just a few more to do tomorrow.

It will be there when you wake up Lynn...you can go to bed now! Night all! ;-)